I like the parking brake handle to get firm at six clicks, and to be fully engaged at eight clicks. The parking brake can be adjusted at a nut under the parking brake handle after some interior trim pieces are removed. If all the adjustment is used up under the handle, then the slack will have to be taken up at the rear hubs. I don't mess with the handle and always go straight to the rear hubs. My car has needed the parking brake adjusted twice in five years.
Jack, wrench and socket to get the wheel lugs off, screwdriver, flashlight.
Pretty darn easy. Hardest part is lifting the wheels on and off.
Both rear wheels need to be off the ground at some point. This can be done one rear wheel at a time. Sometimes it is easier to turn the hubs with both wheels in the air at the same time Start by jacking one rear wheel up. Then release the parking brake and put the transmission into neutral.
Remove rubber plug from the disc hat by hand. Ignore the slot that looks like the plug will take a screwdriver unless for some reason plug is stuck.
Turn the hub until the hole in the hat lines up over the adjuster wheel. Shine a light source in the hole to see the wheel.
If the hub won't turn, make sure the parking brake is off, and the car is in neutral. Use a longer screwdriver or pry bar for more leverage.
The hole on the hat should be close to a six o'clock position in order to see the adjuster wheel behind it. Use a flashlight. The adjuster wheel is vertical.
This was the best pic I could get of the the "latches" on the adjuster wheel.
The adjuster wheel is spun with a screwdriver blade. The screwdriver blade tip is horizontal. Starting low,
and ending high turns the wheel upward and TIGHTENS the parking brake shoes. Turn the adjuster wheel like this until it does not turn anymore. This should only take a few turns.
After the adjuster wheel is tight, the factory service manual says to turn the adjuster wheel back in the opposite direction "five to six latches." I am not sure what constitutes a latch. I loosened the adjustment wheel about three full travels with my screwdriver in the opposite direction. Sometimes the screwdriver would slip and I would tighten the wheel again and start over. This takes a little bit of touch but is easy once you get the feel of it.
Repeat the procedure on the opposite rear wheel. Check the tightness at the parking brake handle. I do not believe the rear wheels have to be adjusted exactly the same, just get them as close as possible. The tension on the right and left wheel parking brakes tends to even itself out after a few pulls of the handle.
Put the rear wheels back on. With the added weight and leverage of the wheels, they should turn easily by hand. A slight dragging sound is normal, which is the disc brake pads and not the parking brake shoes. I like the feeling of a properly adjusted parking brake. Makes the whole car seem more solid, lolam.
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